The Reaper
by FanficFridays
Summary: Child, warrior, huntress, prey, leader, soldier, savior, harbinger. Ruby Rose has become all of these things. How far can she be pulled in each direction before she begins to tear apart?


_The Reaper_

 _Chapter 1: Eyes of the Storm_

Mistral was burning.

That in and of itself was largely unremarkable. In ages past, and even in the days of the Great War, it had seemed nigh impossible that the imperial city could ever be threatened, no matter what happened to its colonies or surrounding villages.

All that was long gone though. Over the past year Ignatius Martel had seen the myth of the everlasting kingdom, the largest and the greatest, fall apart. Known simply as 'Iggy' by his friends, he had grown up in Mistral. He had been a fairly unremarkable youth, not bright enough to be a scholar and not quite strong enough to be a Huntsmen, he had gone into construction, earning a modest salary and spending most of it on nights at the tavern with his buddies... in better days. He had helped renovate many of the buildings on this street.

'That's all we ever do, these days.' There were far more structures being lost than being built. Day by day, and block by block, waves of nascent Grimm had pounced on the opportunity of centuries, chipping away at the city's defenses. The neighborhood he had grown up in was scorched and shattered, monsters patrolling its streets, prodding for the next chink in the armor. It was getting so bad that almost everyday there were reports of some quarter being lost, the distant sound of long silent sirens warning its citizens of an incoming breach. At first they had panicked. Now, most had seen the routine several times, calmly and quickly exiting, being sure to take anything they didn't want to lose.

Iggy had done much the same, an hour ago. He cursed bitterly at saws and lumber that would have to be left behind, tools that were becoming scarcer and ever more expensive. He had even talked himself into taking several hammers on his tool belt. He stopped his jog, to catch his breath, leaning down against a wall of weathered plaster, panting heavily. 'I should've only taken one.' He thought angrily, remorsefully emptying the contents of his belt onto the ground. He couldn't keep carrying the extra weight. The metal hit the floor with a dull clang. 'Well, there goes a few hundred lien.'

He hadn't really been thinking when he had started running. Carrying as much as possible was force of habit at this point. And he had never had to run this far.

Iggy looked up anxiously, for once that hopeful that he would see suits of grey and white in the distance. Whatever else Atlesian soldiers on Mistrali streets meant, they were a sign of safety, that a new barricade had been for that he and his fellows to hide behind. There was no one in sight. He had been running for over a mile.

"Shit." he muttered. Losing a stretch of ground a mile long was almost unheard of. The Tinmen and their Hunters must have needed a lot of time to prepare their defense. Something big was coming, something very big. ' And I do NOT want to be here when it makes it.'

He staggered to his feet, jolts of protest shooting from his left knee as he winced. He had a bum knee, earned back in his thirties when some imbecile fresh out of school had misplaced a floorboard that had collapsed when someone put any weight on it, careening him down a two floors and bending his leg beyond human form. "It's not going to kill me." He said angrily, shaking off the pain as the horrified, green faced youth looked more out of sorts than he had been. Now he wasn't so sure.

Wherever the dividing line was between no man's land and sanctuary, most everyone else had already crossed it. All that was left around him was the sound of distant gunfire, cracked pavement and boarded windows.

The dilapidated edge of South Mistral had long been rather shoddy, its shabbiness diluted by the proud edifice of what had once been greatness. Buildings that had once blended the Eastern and Western styles of Mistrali culture, that had stood since the merger of the two Kingdoms into one, had been turned into second hand stores and third rate housing as their artisans and builders relocated to better neighborhoods. Then, the stores began to shutter one by one, replaced by emergency housing and food kitchens. The villages and outposts they had gotten much of their supplies from had been swallowed up, the shops closed down, and the weary survivors filled up the void. The only work he had had in months was to shutter windows, build makeshift walls for tenement houses, solidify barricades that would be torn down as quickly as they were put up. All day and into the night, until he shuffled drearily back to his own ever crowding apartment building. Refugees were the only thing never in short supply.

Iggy began moving forward, more slowly than before, but that didn't matter so long as he was making progress. The core of Mistral was close by. They had to have defenses set up a few blocks ahead of that. He anxiously looked up at the sky as he saw bullheads flying above him. He briefly considered trying to signal them before realizing it was pointless. The squadron was firing furiously into a flock of Nevermores as Griffons circled around them. The Nevermores shot of a barrage of molting feathers, pummeling the cockpit of the lead ship. One of the heavy feathers of the ancient Grimm fell from the sky, slamming into the rooftop of a nearby structure in a sickening crack as tiles and plaster fell to the ground.

' I have to get out of here now.' He thought desperately. 'The streets won't be safe much longer.'

He paused as he heard a distant snarl. He had heard that sound before, but always on the other side of thick walls and men at arms. The sound was death. 'Beowolves.' He thought.

'I have to get inside.' He thought, rushing into the nearest building before quietly closing and bolting the door. There was a slight crack in the shutters of the window that he peeked through, needing to see what he was facing.

A dozen pitch black forms were prowling down the street, about two blocks away, their forms becoming ever clearer. Front and center was a creature twice the size of its brethren, with thick white armor and glowing red eyes, filled with the savage cunning of an experienced predator who had tasted flesh time and time again. The other creatures seemed to be more juvenile; still deadly, but nothing compared to this freak of nature, this Elder Grimm.

'They must have slipped past the vanguard.' He thought deludedly.

A pack of Grimm didn't just 'slip by' trained warriors, but fear attracted the Creatures of Grimm, and the recognition that this wasn't a fluke but a vanguard all its own would terrify him to the core.

The Alpha raised its snout, sniffing inquisitively. It peered up in down the street with its blood red eyes, searching for something it hadn't quite found. ' They don't know I'm here!' Iggy thought, clinging desperately to the hope of that thought.

Ages ago, he had attended the initiation for Sanctum Academy, to test the merit of adolescent Huntsmen candidates. He had always been burly, big for his age, and eager to impress. He had lasted the first few days before being winnowed out by the end of the week. Now he was grasping at the introductory lessons he had only half listened too.

' I should have spent less time ogling girls.' He thought dryly. Not that he really blamed himself. Huntress hopefuls were _the_ reason to go the Academies. Thinking like that may have been the reason he hadn't quite hacked it, but... ' No, focus!' He thought. He stopped.

The Grimm were still fanning out. They hadn't spotted him. A distant lecture came to mind. 'The Grimm are attracted to negative emotion.' A professor had said to an incoming class of hopefuls. ' The happier your thoughts, the longer it will take them to find you.'

Iggy smiled, a large if somewhat forced expression. 'Think happy thoughts.' Everything was going to be alright. He had his hammer, he had his wits, he knew the area like the back of his hand. He didn't have the agility to leap from rooftop to rooftop, but he could wait until the pack had moved on. No worries about whatever monsters would follow the pack. None at all.

He felt like he was a teenager again, ready to take on anything life threw at him. 'Crossing through the market place would be the fastest way to move in the opposite direction of the breach, but I'd have next to no cover there.' He thought, anxiety rising before he quelled it.

"Happy thoughts." he whispered, reminiscing about those few days at Sanctum while trying to calm his nerves. He had been tall for his age, made strong by working with his father whenever he wasn't in school, which was probably more often than not. He had dutifully paid attention to the opening lectures, scribbling short notes he glanced at from time to time, but he had really come for the sparring.

The preliminary battles were meant as a tool to gauge the current standing of each hopeful, before formal training (although children of Hunters or those that could afford tutors often bent this rule) or any Aura was unlocked. He had taken down a short, wiry boy in less than a minute, impressing several of the fairer sex. There had been one girl, an Atlesian, she had to be, with hair that rare, peculiar shade of white, and bright eyes, who had spent quite a bit of time smiling at him. He had returned the gesture, and gone easy on her the next day. He never got her name, but he figured he would have plenty of time for niceties after everyone had settled in.

On the third day he had faced off against Alexander Nikos. The boy was a few inches shorter than he was, but his body was sculpted like that of a prize fighter, adorned in crimson and bronze armor that matched his hair and skin. If anyone had prior training it was him, dark emerald eyes looking over the competition with the condescension of an elite watching children play soldier. His movements were like that of a big cat, powerful and meaningful, ready to pounce at all times. Members of the Nikos family had always been regarded as Gods of War amongst mere mortals.

Iggy had been anxious to bring Alex back to Earth. To prove that he could hang with the best of the best. When he charged, however, he saw a blur of gold and red as a bronze arm wrapped around his neck and a sweeping kick knocked him to the ground. He had been put into a chokehold in less than a second, unable to break free. His vision went white as he struggled in futility against the vice grip. 'This.' He thought in awe, 'Is what a true Huntsmen is.' He didn't win. He hadn't even come close. The proctor called the match just before he could pass out.

Alex hadn't gloated about it. Instead he had just walked away as if nothing had happened, moving back to his seat without a care in the world. And as his vision returned all Iggy saw, all he could see for the rest of the day, was the figure of the fair haired girl contorted in uncontrollable laughter. He had left the morning of the fourth day, working late into the night, hauling concrete and trying to forget...

He couldn't see it, but Iggy could feel the Alpha's gaze shifting towards him, and could hear its bounding footsteps as it slammed into the wooden door, which cracked and screeched in protest but didn't quite break.

That little echo of shame was all it had taken to pinpoint his scent. Iggy's blood ran cold. The rest of the pack would be on him now. He ignored the aching protests of his knee as he hurried up the stairs, headed for the window.

His body screamed in horror as he leapt out the window of the second floor and onto the pavers of the market below. He tried to ignore the dull pop his bum knee made as he landed, moving forward unabated, adrenaline muting all pain and ruling all thoughts. He fearlessly charged through the open market square. Cover was irrelevant, the creatures knew where he was, and his only hope of escape was a straight line to run in and a head start.

A Griffon crashed right in front of him, and only his good sense had stopped him from careening into its waiting maw. Before it could raise its head from the pierced gravel where his body had been seconds away from, Iggy struck. He slammed his hammer into its eye, which burst instantly, a yellowish red gel oozing out as it screeched in agony. He swung again furiously, shattering the creatures beak in several savage blows so that it couldn't devour him. He then slammed the head of his hammer into its head, over and over and over, until the creature stopped twitching and was still.

' I killed a Grimm.' he thought, as the black, smoldering ash and oily steam of Grimm essence leaked off the rapidly decaying corpse. There was no time to revel in his victory, however. He had to keep running.

He had only made it a few more steps before the pack was upon him. The Alpha had closed the distance while he was distracted by the unfortunate Griffon, sinking its claws into his left shoulder as it pinned him to the ground.

Iggy swung wildly, swerving away from the Beowolf's hungry jaws and bashing his hammer harmlessly off its bone white armor. His current position gave him next to no leverage, and the Grimm was well protected.

Never the less, he kept swinging. Even as the rest of the pack encircled him he would keep swinging. His life, however unremarkable, was his and his alone, and if it was going to end, he would go out swinging.

Eyes filled with the grim courage that had kept Man alive in a world of monsters, he raised his hammer again, finally slamming into the Alpha's eyes, grinning as it howled. " You want me so bad, you fucking brute?!" He spat, ignoring the blood pooling around his left shoulder. " Come and get me!"

The Alpha snarled, before shaking the paw embedded in its victim, flinging Iggy several meters across the market with its brute strength. Iggy, legs shaking, forced himself up one more time, ready to make a last ditch effort at escape. Then the Alpha lunged forward and sunk several dozen white knives into his left calf. He screamed in pained as each one dug deeper. That was his bad leg. He wasn't getting up again.

The Betas of the pack quickly followed suit, two wrapping their jaws around each of his arms, his lucky hammer falling to the ground, useless. He could feel the hot, rancid breath of a fourth about to dig into his exposed belly. Iggy had never been a religious man, but as the teeth began rending his flesh he looked up towards the sky and prayed to whoever could help him that he would die quickly.

His wish was granted as something slammed into his head, piercing his brain and snapping his neck. The Beowolves stopped, confused, as their prey slumped over in their grasp. The Alpha, wiser than the others, looked menacingly at a distant tower before the pavement was painted with the inside his skull. His compatriots fell in rapid succession, a dozen Grimm slain in about as many seconds, each shot a deathblow without a single wasted round.

Ruby Rose jerked her sights away and forced back the wave of nausea that had begun to overcome her. 'If I had been a few seconds earlier-' she killed that thought. The man was dead. Dwelling on it would only bring Grimm to her, in what was supposed to be a concealed location. Even if she had seen it earlier, he was alone, surrounded and half a mile away from the first line of defense, a line that might not even hold if things went poorly. Anyone who found themselves in her sights was more likely than not moments away from death. And she would be the one to deal it out.

Trying to channel the nervous energy filling her body, Ruby scanned the streets for signs of counter snipers. It was unlikely but still a possibility. Grimm couldn't shoot, and the men under Salem's thrall would be rushing through the gaps, frantically moving into position as a counter to the remnants of the vanguard as teams of Hunters and soldiers moved to reinforce their flagging allies.

Ruby spotted a man in black with a dark suit and darker scowl. She could tell he wasn't one of theirs because the nearby Grimm were ignoring him. He was one of Salem's... Watt's trained and marked goons, and he was alone. Carefully checking the surrounding area, she confirmed that he had rushed ahead of his comrades and was totally isolated. She fired, the first shot downing his Aura and the second piercing his abdomen with an incendiary round before he had time to move. The body would turn to ash before his allies noticed he was gone.

Ruby gave the surrounding area another cursory glance, but it appeared she had again gone unnoticed. She was supposed to hang back and prioritize important targets, relaying information to command and assassinating the Eldest of the Grimm, the leaders of enemy battalions, and even Arthur Watts himself, brothers willing, but if an opening caught her eye she'd take it. It was her friends and her allies that would have to face whatever she missed.

If it was up to her, Ruby would've been down there with them. But it wasn't up to her, and she didn't get to be Ruby. This war didn't need Ruby Rose. It needed a silver eyed angel of death, wreaking havoc amongst the forces of darkness, a whisper, a nightmare. It needed a reaper.

* * *

 _Several months earlier..._

The first thing Ironwood took note of when Ruby Rose entered his office was her silver eyes.

The second thing he noted was her sheer naïveté, tinged with nervous energy and uncertainty that permeated the air around her as she hesitantly sat down. " You wanted to see me, sir?"

Ironwood nodded, preparing for a rather difficult conversation. He reached for his flask, but thought better of it. He needed his wits about them. Besides,wasn't like Qrow, he didn't need his brandy to get through the day. The unopened bottle of Atlas's finest in his bottom drawer still sat there, waiting for months for his resolve to crack. He had gotten awfully close several times.

His office was a symbol of his authority, smaller than the Headmaster's quarters in Atlas, but ordered like clockwork and scrubbed until it shined. It was a vestige of the orderliness of his mind, and the order he wished to restore in the world. Chaos had no place here.

So when Ruby, anxiously fidgeting, knocked over a fresh stack off field reports, Ironwood bit back a yell, and avoiding the timid apology in her eyes, picked up the pages, ignoring the smears of wet ink on the sheets that had been completed only moments before.

"Yes." He said, breaking the long silence. " I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done in Menagerie. The fall of the White Fang is some of the first good news we've gotten in this war, and Chieftain Belladonna informs me that your team was crucial to that victory."

Ruby perked up at that, nodding eagerly. " Yeah, I guess we were pretty awesome." She said, gesturing wildly. " We we all like 'Hiyah!' Then the fang was like 'watcha!' and then we went 'stop right there evildoers', and the fang was all like ' oh no!', and then it was all 'whoosh, ching, kaboom', and Blake did this crazy swing with Gambol shroud's tassel that caught 8 people at once! It was so cool!"

Ironwood coughed, not wanting to see how long the girl could go on. Ruby flushed and stopped, before continuing more slowly. "Thank you, sir. But, if that's why you wanted to see me, where are Sun and Coco? Their teams did a lot too."

Ironwood nodded. " Mr. Wukong and Miss Adel have both also been transferred to the Mistrali Theatre, along with their team mates. They will be given all the accolades they are due, and hopefully continue to bring victory closer. However," he said, "that is not the only reason I wanted to see you today."

Ruby swallowed nervously, eyes flitting to the windows anxiously, like a child about to be chewed out by a strict schoolmaster. Ironwood had seen that kind of look many times. But Ruby Rose was not his student. No matter her age she was a full fledged Huntress now, who had given much to the cause and from whom he would demand even more.

"You've already spoken to Qrow about this, correct?" Ironwood asked, remembering the fool's massive breach of security by telling a group of teenagers some of their most precious secrets. " Why Salem and her ilk might come after you?"

Ruby stiffened, and her posture became much more rigid, much more serious. Her eyes had a tinge of fear in them, and a tinge of steel. Good. He could use that.

" It's because of my eyes, right?" Ruby said softly. " Some ancient legend about silver eyed warriors, and how they were really, really good at killing Grimm."

" That's a simple way of putting it." Ironwood replied. "But, essentially, yes. That is what those of the Silver Eyes were..." he said slowly, making sure she was looking him in the eye and paying her utmost attention "...and that is what I need you to become."

Ironwood reached into his desk and pulled out a map. Unrolling it on the desk it revealed a rough sketch of the land within 100 miles of Mistral. Green circles indicated the major settlements the Kingdom still held. Red X's showed territory ceded to the endless onslaught of Grimm. Black squares were scattered across the map to indicate Grimm concentration patterns. The map was dated from yesterday. There was a lot of red and an awful lot of black.

"We're beset on all sides, not just from Salem's pawns but by the Creatures of Grimm, drawn to our cities by our own growing weakness and fear, which in turn weakens our forces and resolve even further. It's a vicious cycle." He grimaced, noting the sincerity of horror in Ruby's eyes as she winced. " We could certainly use a warrior of legend to turn the hide. One so powerful that even the Grimm fear them."

Ruby paused thoughtfully before beginning. " Are you sure I can do it?" she asked hesitantly. " I mean, aside from that night at Beacon, I've never had any special powers. And I'm pretty good at killing Grimm, but so are all my friends. Heck, you probably have HUNDREDS of Huntsmen who are better at it than I am."

Ironwood allowed a patronizing grin to overtake his features. " That list is shorter than you think, Ms. Rose." It was not a false compliment. The leader of Team RWBY was exceptionally talented, and if her performance as a member of JWRY was anything to go on she could follow orders as well as she could give them. Not to mention the every shrinking roster Huntsmen. Many had fallen in the past few months. Some of the survivors had abandoned the cause altogether, retiring before an inevitable demise or fleeing to the distant enclaves of civilization, preserving some fading spark of humanity while its hearth went dark. A few of the least scrupulous had even begun taking marching orders from Salem, eager to stay on the winning side.

" You're an invaluable asset, although not particularly more so than your comrades." He said calmly. " At least, not now."

Ruby shifted slightly in her seat, anxiously listening, unsure of where this was going. Ironwood rose slightly, making sure to look Ruby in the eye as he posed her a question.

" Have you ever wondered, Ms. Rose, why Ozpin allowed you to enter Beacon Academy two years early?"

Ruby shook her head. " Because he thought I was ready. He saw footage of me fighting." Ruby paused, remembering the night that had set all this into motion. It seemed so long ago. "It was after I fought Torchwick, and his goons. Professor Ozpin asked me if I wanted to come to his school, and I said yes, because of course I said yes, because I had always wanted to be a Huntress, and..." Ruby stopped, conscious of her own rambling.

An awkward silence filled the office as Ironwood stared at her, unsure if she was finished or not. Ruby cleared her throat, attempting to break the tension.

" We actually met in an office a lot like this. You know..." she said slowly. " the first time Professor Ozpin called me into his office, he gave me cookies." Ruby pouted slightly, before gesturing petulantly at the General's desk, and the distinct lack of confections. She smiled slightly, before wincing at the Headmaster's expression and sinking back into her seat. To say he was unamused would be an understatement.

The General stood straight, body taut as iron. " The fact of the matter, Ms. Rose, is that for all intents and purposes you are no longer a child, and I am not your teacher. I am NOT Professor Ozpin." he said sharply. Then, as quickly as he had tightened, his form slackened. " For better or worse." There was a distant quality in his gaze now, and a deep tiredness.

" I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." Ruby said pitifully. She had seen that look too often, on the faces of strangers, friends... and herself. Ironwood waved off her concern and collected himself.

" Oz was always the most clairvoyant of us." He murmured. " He had some inkling of what was coming, I'm sure." He let out a faint chuckle at some distant memory. " And he always had a knack for moving his chess pieces where they needed to be, when they needed to be there."

Ironwood motioned towards Ruby. " I saw you at the Vytal Festival, I've read your student evaluations. You certainly were ready for Beacon, but that is not so unusual. From time to time students in the Junior Academies outclass their older peers. Specialist Schnee and Ms. Nikos, for example, would have been on par with the majority of freshmen years before they graced Atlas' or Beacon's halls. But, in those cases, the system was content to let them grow on their own. Winter had her tutors, Pyrrha had her tournaments, and you would have had you uncle to guide you down your path. Had things run their usual course, you would've likely been by far the top student in your year, not one of the best in the class two years above you."

"So..." Ironwood said, " with all that in mind, why do think procedure was ignored, and you were admitted to one of Remnants most prestigious institutions at the drop of a hat?"

"... It was because of my eyes." Ruby said softly.

Ironwood nodded.

" Yes. Qrow could have taught you quite adequately. In terms of raw finesse and skill you might have been better off under his wing for an extra year or two. However, there are things the academies teach that individual tutors cannot. How to work with a team,how to fight face to face with the most dangerous types of Grimm, and why it is we do what we do. Most importantly, it put you right under Ozpin's watchful eye, and out of Salem's reach."

" The truth is, Ms. Rose," Ironwood concluded. " Ozpin probably would have snatched you up even if you had no training at all. Because you're special, and because you'd need to be as ready as he could make you if Humanity was to survive the coming storm."

" If my eyes are so special..." Ruby said cautiously, " why didn't Professor Ozpin teach me how to use them? I'm not prepared at all."

Ironwood shook his head, and then handed her a file. Ruby's hands shook nervously as she opened it. On the first page was her name. The second was a picture of a snowy white field, streams of black emanating from the corpses of Beowolves. After a few pages of text and analysis that she skimmed through, there was a still frame of a Dragon, frozen on Beacon Tower. The final page consisted of a group shot of Team RWBY storming a White Fang compound in Menagerie, with two lieutenants being knocked to the ground by her scythe.

" Aren't you?" Ironwood asked. Ruby inhaled sharply, still uncertain.

" The reason Ozpin didn't teach you how to use the power of your eyes is because he didn't know how. I don't know how." Ruby raised an eyebrow.

" Then who's going to show me?" She asked, somewhat apprehensively and somewhat eagerly. If she really was going to learn how to be some sort of awesome super Huntress, maybe she could really make a difference. Maybe... maybe she wouldn't lose anyone else...

" No one is." He said simply. "You'll have to discover this power on your own." Ironwood said.

" General... sir..." Ruby said, somewhat impatiently. " I can't do that. Couldn't you just get someone else with silver eyes to show me how it's done?"

" There isn't anyone else with Silver Eyes." Ironwood said sharply. " I wish there were, but there aren't. It has always been a rare trait, and Salem has hunted the few who possess it to near extinction. If there are any others, they're out in the badlands, out of Salem's way and out of our reach."

Ruby gulped. " And you really don't know..."

" Almost anything really." Ironwood confessed. " The bearers of the Eyes have always been a bit secretive as to how precisely they use their powers. Even Ozpin wasn't able to pry it out of them." He raised himself slightly. " However, we do have one lead. One person who has used the power, at least once."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Me? At the tower?" Ironwood nodded. " But I don't even remember how it happened." She said. " All I remember is...Pyrrha, and Cinder, and then a bright light... and then next thing I know I'm in my bed and Uncle Qrow is telling me I killed Dragon."

If Ironwood was bothered by Ruby's emotional state, he showed no sign of it. In fact, he seemed as though he had verified something important, and allowed a trace of satisfaction to grace his features.

" Your power emerged when you were placed under extreme duress and severe need. It seems to be tied to your emotional state as well."

Ruby shifted, memories rushing through her mind, seeing the spark of life fade out . " So, to use the Silver eyes again..."

"We need to recreate the circumstances that led to their activation as close as we possibly can." Ironwood saw refusal on the tip of Ruby's tongue and spoke before she could decline. " I won't lie to you Ms. Rose. I'm going to push you and your friends hard, very hard. Whatever comes our way you'll be getting the worst of it. But, whatever you think of me, know that I am not the kind of man to throw lives away needlessly. You and your peers are some of the best assets I have, and the future of the Guardians of Remnant. I will do my utmost to keep them all alive."

" I'm not getting anyone of my friends killed." Ruby said simply.

" Hopefully the mere stress of combat is enough to call out the power." Ironwood said simply. " Just try to recall the feeling of bringing it forth, and recreate it. Combining conscious effort with the tension of battle may be enough to do it."

He could tell that Ruby was beginning to waver, so Ironwood pressed forward. " I'll be frank, Ms. Rose. You and your friends are already risking your lives on a daily basis. It is the nature of our profession. Huntsmen have been fighting and dying since the end of the Great War. Your friends and your mother have already met this fate, and they were some of the best I've ever known. Yet, never the less, we continue on, and more often than not we Huntsmen meet the same end. It is inescapable."

Ruby spoke slowly, and softly. " You knew my mother?"

" Summer Rose, yes?" Ironwood said. " The only other bearer of the Silver Eyes I've ever seen." Ironwood nodded. " I'm not sure if 'knew' is the right word. When I was first brought into our Brotherhood, she was one of Ozpin's staunchest lieutenants. She was quiet, but her aura had a strange kindness, and she radiated a peculiar kind of power. She was Oz's go to woman for some of the Brotherhood's most sensitive missions. I only met her twice. Then, one day, she went on a mission and never came back."

Ironwood cursed himself for his lack of a filter as he saw the tears pooling around the young girls eyes. She wiped them away quickly, inhumanly quickly, before she replied.

" You know, it's funny..." She said, playing with the fringes of her torn hood. " I don't really remember that much of my mom. All I really remember is a white hood, and strong, soft arms."

Ironwood coughed, trying to interrupt, but Ruby was too caught in her tale to notice.

" Yang and Dad always talk about how wonderful she was. How she always gave her all and protected everyone around her. That she was a hero who brought good into the world and made sure everyone got a happy ending. That's what I always wanted to be."

" Ms. Rose... I'm sorry."

" I'll do it."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"It's a no brainer really." Ruby said. " If I can use my eyes to stop dragons in their tracks, I could save countless people . And I'd risk everyone's lives even more if I had a power I could use to protect them and I didn't use it. I shouldn't have even had to think about it." She sighed, steeling herself against her own doubts. " You can count on me General." She said, wearing a bright, false grin.

This was for the good of all of Remnant. Still, Ironwood felt sick to his stomach. " It will take a day or two for your team to be re-integrated into our forces." He said blandly. " I'd suggest you and your friends use it to get some well earned rest. You'll be very busy soon."

Ruby nodded and sped out of the room, leaving a trail of rose petals behind her. Ironwood pinched his nose, and then paged the janitorial department to send someone to his office immediately before pulling out a fresh series of reports on the enemy's movements, trying to take his mind off of things.

He was going to put that young woman through hell . And he had no shortage tortures to offer.

* * *

"You ok Rubes?"

Ruby was jolted out of her reverie once again and brought back to the realm of the living.

"Yeah," she muttered. " It's just these stupid shoes." Ruby surreptitiously moved her feet under the table, trying to use one shoe to peel off the other. She bit back a groan as the heel dug into her foot.

" Ruby, could you please try to and look dignified for one night? This is a special occasion." Weiss tutted while her leader pouted.

" Besides." Blake said nonchalantly. " You do realize what Coco is going to do to us if you step out of line."

Ruby gulped and paled, looking across the table while the caramel brunette sat upon her throne, surveying her subjects. When the Atlesian command had offered to pay for a celebratory dinner after the victory in Menagerie, the leader of CFVY had demanded that everyone look their absolute best for the occasion. She had nigh without fail enforced her will and handpicked and enforced outfits on everyone. Almost everyone, anyway.

Sun Wukong was sitting in the middle of the table, next to Blake and Scarlet, his tie wrapped around the back of his chair and his collared shirt unbuttoned all the way down. Even with her sunglasses on everyone in the room knew Coco was glaring daggers at him. Ruby wasn't brave enough to follow his example, so she would just have to suffer through it.

Yang wrapped an arm around her younger sister playfully. " Relax Ruby. You've been tense ever since we landed. What's up?"

Ruby shook her head weakly, remembering her earlier conversation. " Oh nothing... just, thinking about stuff."

" We're all a little on edge right now Yang." Blake said. " Leave Ruby alone. She's fine."

Yang rolled her eyes at her partner and gave Ruby a reassuring pat on the back before settling back down.

The group was on edge, and not entirely because of Coco. 'The Isles of the Blessed' was one of the few fine restaurants left in Mistral, a memory of a forgotten age, and it was frequented by the higher echelons of Mistrali society and military command. The twelve teenager hunters felt about as out of place as they looked. On top of that, the staff had a very strong 'no weapons' policy inside the establishment. After everything, none of them felt completely comfortable unarmed, although most of the group was absolutely lethal with their bare hands. Ruby was not and despite the ornate dress felt completely naked without Crescent Rose.

" Just try and stay calm." Weiss begged. " It's the first time in months that I've seen Winter, and I'd like for it to go well."

"You and me both." Neptune muttered, looking downcast at his empty plate.

Ruby stared anxiously at the two empty seats at the table, between Yang and Sage, where Winter and Jaune would be sitting. The two had stayed under Ironwood's command in Mistral, and aside from brief messages had been totally isolated. Ruby was... happy for Weiss that the ice queen's icier sister would make her happy, and she was sincerely pretty glad to see Jaune.

" So this Jaune guy, " Sun asked, " he was from Beacon, right? It's been a while."

" Yes." Blake said.

" And he-"

"-took my spot on RW-Y while I was off chasing the Fang in Menagerie. We've been over this, it's fine." She said crossly. " and you don't have to dance around the issue, I'm fine with it."

" Technically" Ruby interjected " he took MY spot, since he was the leader and all, and I took your spot, since the R in JWRY is the third letter just like B in RWBY."

Blake looked thoroughly unamused.

"Just stop it now sis. You're only going to dig yourself a deeper hole."

Ruby's eyes flitted between Blake's amber stare and Yang's lilac glance. ' If only it was as it is to tell when other people are mad as it with Yang. Why can't everyone's eyes just be color coded?"

" So," Sun began, " is he going to be as much of a buzzkill as Ice Queen 2.0?"

" You do realize I'm two seats down, right?" Weiss said shrilly.

"... I know." Sun said, completely unmoved by any level of disapproval from Ice Queen 1.0 and seemingly trying to see how many women he could get to glare at him simultaneously. 'Coco, Blake, Weiss... 3 out of 6. Still hasn't beat his high score from Kuo Kuana.'

" Nah." Neptune said. " Jaune's cool. A little neurotic though."

Sun gave Neptune a deadpan glance. " Neurotic? Coming from you. You do realize you held Weiss's hand the _entire_ time we were over the ocean on the way here?"

" I... I just wanted to show some affection. Stop bringing it up all the time."

" Whatever."

Weiss huffed as the members of SSSN devolved into another good natured argument. She and Coco were much of the same mind with wanting the night to go well, and she seemed to be enjoying her creature comforts such as fine white silk and being waited on, if not so much the present company. Blake hadn't donned another bow and was proudly displaying her Faunus ears along with a matching black dress. Only Yang had managed to talk Coco out of forcing her into a kind of gown, and she wore something resembling her usual attire. However, her jacket was a bit fancier than usual, and resembled more a night on the down get up than a night in the badlands. Her older sister had her own reasons for wanting to look nice tonight.

"Table for two?" A waiter asked anxiously.

" No, thank you." A cool voice replied. " Our party should already be here. Huntsmen, party of twelve?"

Ruby's ears perked up as she turned around to see familiar mops of blond and white. The entire restaurant was treated to a crimson blur slamming into a tall, blond man and knocking him to the floor.

" Jaune!" Ruby cried, squeezing for dear life. " We've missed you!"

" Ruby... can't... breathe." Ruby flushed slightly and pulled off of the disheveled officer.

Yang chuckled, looking at her sister and locking eyes with her former partner, grinning ear to ear all the while. " Some things never change."

" Sorry." Ruby said, offering Jaune a hand up.

The two new arrivals couldn't be more different in most ways. Winter was the paragon of Atlesian Order, white coat pressed and perfectly tucked in, not a hair out of place, with a measured exterior and unflappable calm. Jaune's uniform, by contrast, was wrinkled in several places, unbuttoned at the top, and seemed almost casual on the boy's frame. He radiated a pleased, nervous energy, his emotions plain on his face with a bemused smile.

" I thought I taught you not to get caught off guard like that, Arc." Winter said dryly.

" I know." Jaune said, getting back to his feet. " I saw her coming. But it's not like I was in any real danger." Winter shook her head but bit back any criticism of her old pupil.

"Good to see you again Ruby." Jaune said, ruffling her hair a bit before walking towards his seat.

" Ruby." Weiss muttered, "could you just control yourself? You're acting like a child."

" Hey Weiss." Jaune said quickly, pulling into his chair.

" Hello Jaune. Glad to see you're okay." She said, before turning to her sister. " Winter, I have so much to tell you! During the campaign in Menagerie, I made great progress on my summonings."

Ruby nudged Jaune forward as he underwent the awkward process of working the table.

"...Blake." Jaune said slowly.

"Jaune." She replied simply.

" Been a while."

"Yes."

"...How's home?"

" It's fine." She said tersely. The two of them had never been on particularly close terms, and a year's absence hadn't mended that. Ruby was still pretty sure the friendship was still civil though. Crisis averted on that front.

" Neptune, Sage, Scarlet, what's up?"

" Nothing much." Neptune replied.

" Hey Jaune," Scarlet said. " Do you still have those X-ray and Vav comics I gave you?"

" Yeah." Jaune said. " They're in my room in the barracks. Haven't had much time to read them. Why?"

" ... Could I have them back?"

Sage groaned. " Are you serious? He has been back for less than a minute."

" I know, but I asked him to take care of them, and I'm sure he's done a bang up job of it, but they're limited edition, mint condition collectibles and I'd really like them back."

" Dammit, Scar." Sage muttered.

" Hey, Yastu, Fox, Velvet, Coco." Jaune said. " We had a few classes together back in Beacon. I was on JNPR. It's great to see you all, even though we didn't talk much. I don't know if you remember me, but-"

" It's fine." Yatsuhashi said calmly. " It's just nice to see a friendly face again." Fox nodded and Velvet waved shyly. Coco leaned back in her chair with a wide, cheshire grin.

" Oh, don't worry, I've heard _all_ about you Jaune." Jaune gulped slightly.

" Is... that a good thing?"

"Please don't get her started." Velvet said quietly. " She'll be at this all night if you let her."

" Don't worry Velv." Coco said calmly. " I'll behave. After all, he is spoken for, isn't he?"

The specialist could only nod nervously as he politely turned away and faced the girl sitting on his right.

The two blondes spent half a minute looking each other over, blue orbs taking in the other's frames, re-familiarizing themselves with the other's face, and eventually staring the other down.

Yang cracked first. " Aren't you forgetting someone, ladykiller?" She asked, grinning conspiratorially.

Jaune pretended to think for a moment before responding. " Yeah, you're right." He then pivoted across the table. " Sun, right? It has been ages, how have you been?"

"... Fine..." he said, not entirely sure what was going on.

Yang's eyes flashed red, before her grin became predatory. " So, that's the game we're playing." She chuckled. " You bastard."

Yang leapt onto Jaune's seat and grabbed the collar of his shirt before lightly slamming him back against his chair.

" Say my name." She said.

" What?" He asked, playing dumb.

" Say it." She said.

"... No."

The pair's eyes locked for a solid minute before the exchange very rapidly broke down into a fit of giggles and shoving as Yang futilely attempted to get her way.

" Should we do something?" Velvet asked, looking at the other end of the table with concern written on her face.

" Are you kidding?" Coco asked incredulously, on the edge of her seat. "This is awesome."

The battle of wills raged on until Winter gently tapped Jaune on the shoulder.

" If the two of you are through making a scene, the rest of us would like dinner soon." Winter's voice was firm, but her eyes held a warmth and mirth that was unusual on her features. Every other table in the house was staring at the teenagers, and by the look on their faces they had just realized that Yang had just been essentially straddling Jaune, in public, while cackling madly. She slowly pulled herself off him and planted herself back into her chair.

" It's nice to see you again, Yang." Jaune said softly.

"... Yeah." She replied. "You too, Jaune."

The table was quiet for a long while as as Ruby tried to wave a waiter over. Sun finally broke the silence.

" So... I guess this is a thing now."

Blake sighed softly. " Sun, don't ruin the moment."

A tail suddenly wrapped around her waist as the monkey faunus gave her a peck on the cheek. " I'm just making an observation. I like moments too."

Blake blushed slightly before half heartedly pushing him away. " How many times do I have to tell you not at the table?" she muttered.

'Hormones make people weird.' Ruby thought sagely, taking her mind off her team mates entanglements by looking at the dessert menu. ' Ice cream, cake... Mistrali brulee a la mode? I don't even know what that is but it sounds amazing.'

" Sorry to leave you 'yanging' for so long." Jaune said. Yang burst into giggles before stopping short, eyes narrowing.

" How long have you been planning this?"

" What?" Jaune asked nervously.

" This." Yangs aid, motioning with her arms. " The pun, that whole routine. How long?"

Jaune's facade broke and his posture deflated."... ten days."

Yang tutted playfully, shaking her head. " Jaune, Jaune, Jaune. You have come far, but a true master comes up with material on the fly." She gestured down at her chair. " It's how you always have a leg up on the competition."

" Did.. you just?"

"Yup." She said happily. " When it comes to puns I'm always armed and ready."

Jaune's eyes darted to her prosthetic. " ... I can't believe you just did that."

" It's all how you frame the joke." Jaune's eyes widened as he pitifully groaned and slumped into the table.

" Oh god, what have I done?"

" If you can't take the heat," Yang said, bumping him on the shoulder. "Get out of the kitchen." The blonde brawler grinned at the collective groans of the table. " I'll be here all night, folks."

"Excuse me?" A man said, trying to get everyone's attention. His eyes lingered uncomfortably long on Sun's tail and Blake and Velvet's ears.

"What?" Blake asked tersely, looking the waiter over.

"Nothing." he said anxiously. " We just don't get many... never mind. Are you all ready to order? Any preferences on bread, at least?" Three voices rang out in response.

" Biscuits."

" Breadsticks."

Sun and Neptune froze and locked eyes with Jaune across the table. Winter and Weiss rolled their eyes in disgust but were powerless to prevent the ensuing conflict.

" Could you come back in, say, ten minutes?" Weiss asked politely, desperately trying to avoid smacking her boyfriend as he chimed in to the growing culinary debate. The waiter eagerly departed.

During the chaos, everyone who was not strictly involved in the battle was able to pick out an order while biscuits eventually prevailed. Finally, the appetizers arrived and all but one of the diners had biscuits.

" I can't believe you're eating that crap." Sun muttered.

" I just prefer the simplicity of the breadstick, man." Jaune replied. Neptune motioned to intervene but Weiss caught his hand in hers and slammed it back down on the table.

" No more. We are done with this." Weiss said. " Just eat your food."

" Fine." Neptune said coolly. " I know I'm right."

" How is the situation in Mistral?" Yatsuhashi asked, eager to change the subject.

" We had a major incident in Kuchinashi about two weeks ago." Jaune replied. " Since then it's been quiet."

" So, things are calming down, then." Scarlet said.

" No." Winter said simply. " Our reports indicate increased movement of Grimm, troops and armaments. The situation is going to get far worse before it'll get better. That's why you're all here after all."

The table quieted once again as the hunters glanced at one another. Winter stood up, meal half finished.

" I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave early. Specialist Arc and I finished a recon mission this afternoon and command wants a full report before midnight. Weiss, you've made great progress with your semblance ,but that's no excuse to stop pushing yourself. I'll know if you start to stall, and I'll be around to step in. Take care of yourself."

Weiss nodded. " I will."

Jaune took one last look at everyone before getting up as well. " Right. This has been awesome, but we've got to-"

"Arc, what are you doing?"

Jaune looked at Winter, bemused. "Going back to the barracks to help file the report."

" Only one person is needed to file a report, Arc. You'd just get in my way. Stay here."

Jaune paused, looked back at his seat and his friends and team mates. " Winter... I...thanks."

Winter nodded knowingly, before calmly walking out of the restaurant.

Ruby was grinning like mad as Jaune sat back down.

" And the Ice Queen melteth." Yang said, chuckling. " Looks like someone has a soft spot."

" My sister does not have a 'soft spot'." Weiss protested. " She was being realistic."

Yang rolled her eyes. " What's the matter, Weiss, jealous?"

" Me, jealous," she sputtered " that is ridiculous!"

" Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

" Yang." Jaune said. " Play nice."

Yang shook her head, still grinning. " You aren't in charge any more, Jauney."

Jaune sighed. " Ruby?" The red hooded girl looked up from her plate of confections, and with a mouth half filled with sugar said

" Yang, stop teasing Weiss."

" Ruby," the older sister said irritably " swallow your food first. Also, how do you know that's what I was doing, you weren't even listening?"

" She doesn't have to." Blake deadpanned. " You're you."

" I- that's- you're..." Yang said, scandalized. " Jaune, back me up, buddy."

" Yang is definitely a character." Jaune said, ignoring the blonde's feeble protests as Blake nodded in assent.

" That's putting it mildly." Blake said, as Yang looked back and forth between her two partners, irritated.

" Aw... you know you love me." Yang said. Blake looked at Jaune with sympathy, somehow conveying ' she's your problem now' before returning to her tuna.

The dinner gradually wound down from there, with friendly conversation drifting into silence. Weiss insisted upon handling and organizing the tip and the group departed.

" Oh dessert." Ruby said contentedly, rubbing her stomach. " How I've missed you."

"I'm happy we all enjoyed it while it lasted." Weiss said, voiced tinged with melancholy. "We're back on standard rations tomorrow."

"Weiss, don't be a buzz kill." Yang said sharply.

" It's been cool everybody." Sun said evenly, stretching himself outside the building. " But I think they're putting us all back on duty tomorrow. We've got to go back to the room, sort things out, try and get some sleep."

" No rest for the wicked." Coco muttered. With all the pleasantries and goodbyes over with, CFVY and SSSN departed for their quarters in the city, leaving only and RWBY and Jaune walking back to the barracks.

" So..." Ruby said, " we'll be seeing you around, I guess."

" Yeah." Jaune said. " Hopefully."

" Hopefully?" Weiss said. " You know exactly where to find us."

" Yeah." Jaune replied. " If we're ever on leave at the same time. Still," he said. " It was nice seeing the old gang from Beacon again... most of them anyway."

Jaune's eyes drifted to the image of the shattered moon in the sky as the group walked forward in silence, absorbed in the memories of those long gone, the only sound being wind whistling through the leaves of a nearby juniper tree. None of them knew where the Atlesian specialists were housed and none dared to ask. The group merely savored the long forgotten tacit camaraderie while it lasted.

The streets of Mistral were a far cry from the simple luxury of the 'Isles of the Blessed'. Few people were in the streets under the moonlit night, and those who were seemed to recoil from the band of hunters walking in their path, as if they expected something else to go bump in the night. The soft sounds emanating from most of the buildings indicated that they were quite crowded, and faint beams of light between the boards of closed stores indicated the presence of refugees or squatters in their walls.

Half of the street lights were out and the buildings and streets were worn and unswept, dust and grime filling in every crack. The area felt unsafe in the dingy darkness, even though no one in their right minds would attack five strong, young hunters all at once. Finally, the group came to the abandoned hotel that had functioned as barracks for the cities volunteer huntsman.

" Goodnight, Jaune." Yang said, as the girls began to head into the building. Jaune grabbed her hand in his own.

"Actually... could we talk about some things, for a little bit?" Ruby watched with interest as her sister actually show signs of nervousness, skin paling slightly as she chuckled nervously.

" Sure... unfinished business, right?" She asked, lightly running her fingers through her hair.

" Yeah." Jaune replied.

Yang to a second to compose herself.

"Alright." She turned to her team mates, anxiety hidden behind a cocky smile. " I'll be up in a minute. Go on without me."

Ruby tried to give her older sister a discreet thumbs up as she and her team mates climbed the stairs.

" Unfinished business?" Blake asked.

" Trust me." Weiss murmured, "This is far overdue." The trio arrived at the fourth floor and made their way to their room, familiar territory for Ruby and Weiss. _Room 428: JWRY_.

Blake stared at the sign, traces of guilt on her face as she stood outside the door. " I'm not sure if I should stay here." She said quietly. " After all, it's not really my room."

"Nonsense." Weiss said, pulling the faunus girl over the threshold. " Any home of ours is a home of yours. We can update the sign later, anyway."

Blake relaxed, and took in the new setting.

Ruby eagerly showed her around. " We really lucked out with this place, it's got a bathroom with a its own shower, a kitchen, a large bedroom and a living room. It's even bigger than our dorm at Beacon!"

" And a quite a bit shabbier." Weiss groaned from the kitchen. " And look, that oaf left a mess for us to clean up!" Ruby peaked into the kitchen to see a pan in the sink and an empty container of pancake batter on the table.

" It's not that bad." Ruby said, trying to console her partner. " Look, at least he washed the pan."

" Two months!" Weiss groaned. " Two months and he couldn't come by to throw away a box! Unbelievable." Weiss sighed, looking through the pantry. " Well, at least most of the coffee's still here."

" Ruby!" Blake called out. " We have a small problem."

' What now!' She thought irritably. She missed having someone else to shunt all the day to day responsibilities of being team leader onto. She reluctantly followed Blake's voice into the bedroom.

" There are only three beds in here." Blake stated, looking at the cramped corners of the room. " I thought this was meant to house four people? There's hardly any space."

"Oh yeah." Ruby replied. " The fourth bed is a pullout couch in the living room. Jaune slept there because Weiss didn't want him to share a room with the rest of us."

The pair walked into the living room, where they saw the makeshift bed with a sky blue blanket covered with bunnies, still made and waiting, the same way it had when the suites final occupant had abruptly left.

" I guess... one of us will have to take it." Ruby muttered. Something didn't feel right about that. Jaune was still alive. Removing his letter from the sign, having another person sleep in his bed, just felt... wrong.

Luckily, Yang walked in with a skip in her step at that very moment and saved the group the trouble of deciding, plopping down onto the mattress, exhausted.

" How'd it go?" Blake asked simply.

"What..." She said, dazed. " The talk?" Yang said, softly running her hand over her mouth before tucking herself in. " It was good. Clarified some stuff. More details in the morning. I'm beat."

"Clarified?" Blake asked.

"Clarified." Yang said simply. " Morning. Bed, please."

" Should we expect another visit any time soon?" Weiss asked from across the room, walking in from the kitchen. Yang nodded as she buried her head into a pillow.

" Sometime next week, probably. It's late. Bed, now."

" Ah, our little troublemaker is growing up."

" Shut it Weiss. Bed." Yang said.

Ruby turned off the lights in as the remaining trio headed into the bedroom proper. " Goodnight Yang. I love you."

" Love you." Yang said contentedly, half conscious and snuggled into the sheets.

"So," Ruby said. " I guess we've sorted out the bed situation, then?"

" So it would seem." Weiss said, as she changed into her nightwear. " You know, there's an off color joke to be made there, but that sort of thing is beneath me."

" Keep telling yourself that, Snow Angel." Blake murmured.

Ruby allowed herself to relax and clear her mind. Her friends were all here and all in good spirits. She could deal with whatever they were thrown into tomorrow.

* * *

 _The World of Remnant: Silver Eyes_

* * *

The term Silver Eyes, is, in my opinion a bit of a misnomer, since it describes a symptom of the condition rather than its cause. The discoloration of the eyes is a side effect of a potent ambient Aura radiating throughout the user's body throughout the course of their life. When a possessor of the Silver Eyes has their aura completely exhausted, in death, the iris will, after several hours, revert to its normal pigment, which was masked throughout the course of the user's life. Those who hunt the Silver Eyes have paid close attention to this process, to ensure that their target has actually been killed, and in more primitive times, the symbolic vanquishing of the Silver Eyes was more prized than the death of the body they inhabited.

This discoloration is not entirely unique, as, in states of high Aura intensity, several Huntsmen do experience temporary physical changes similar in nature to that of the Silver Eyes. The permanence of this alteration, however, attests to the potency and omnipresence that characterizes the source of power that is forever associated with those marked with the eyes of death.

The origins of this strange Aura are unknown, details lost to the cataclysmic period of the creation and destruction of our world, but its effects in the Remnant of that world are well documented to those who know where to look. While unusually potent, the Aura of those with Silver Eyes is not exceptional, save for the destructive consequences when its power is fully directed at 'magical' beings, such as the creatures of Grimm. When fully activated, the Silver Eyes power can annihilate all but the most resilient of these creatures on contact, crippling the few who manage to escape its wrath.

Each of the few scholars who have managed to avoid the censorship and ignorance propagated by the Guardians of this world has their own pet theory on its history. Some speculate that the Silver Eyes are a product of early experimentation with the power of the relics, the relic of destruction by most accounts, or that they were bestowed upon mankind by the Brothers as a protection against the creatures of Grimm. A handful believe that they emerged as a manifestation of an energy that formed as an equal and opposite product of the energy of creation, a sort of 'anti-magic' that could undo the most potent of the Brothers' work. I find this last hypothesis particularly persuasive, both because of the power of the Silver Eyes against other 'magical' powers and even to a limited extent to effects of the relics themselves, and because, while often hereditary,the Silver Eyes have occasionally and frustratingly emerged in completely unrelated populations across the world.

Wherever they came from, the number of those with the Silver Eyes has waxed and waned over the centuries. In the earliest epochs of human they were highly prized due to their natural advantages in combating the creatures of Grimm, and thus were sought after and prized as mates, reproducing in great number. In more recent history however, up and coming rulers have often considered these powerful warriors to be natural threats to their authority... and dealt with them accordingly. After centuries of being culled by both the tyrants of man and other, darker forces, the surviving wielders of this trait have become remarkably few in number. While it is unlikely that we will ever be truly rid of them, with the inevitable spontaneous emergence of the trait occurring every now and again, their legend has faded out of the public consciousness and into the dust bin of the torn patchwork of facts these people call their history.

In my experience at least, bearers of the Silver Eyes are more fragile than one would initially believe. The use of their power can have substantial drawbacks, and while unstoppable against 'magic', when faced with threats of a more mundane nature they are all too easy to kill.

* * *

 _Alright everyone, chapter 1. That was a doozy. I'm sorry I missed the deadline, I just had a hardcore block on this monster of a chapter. I'm very satisfied with how it came out so far. I've already got a solid idea of where I want to take this story and I will say that it will likely outstrip its predecessors in scope ( probably twice as long as my longest current fic). I will attempt to be better about uploading with more reasonable frequency, but my production cycle seems to be centered around short periods of manic productivity surrounded by long periods of inactive pondering. At the least, I will try to increase the frequency of my manias. If all else fails, just PM me. That alone has broken me out of two hiatuses as a tried and true method._

 _I'm also excited for the release of RWBY Volume 5. I will try to integrate what I can into my pre-existing story line, but no promises. Also, my little sandbox may soon become largely or completely non-canon in a few months time. And I'm okay with that._


End file.
